After a great meal and a bit of craic Nuala McKeever took to the stage and managed to slag off most of the people in the room and tell some great jokes. Nuala then proceeded to announce the shorlisted companies. Anticipation filled the air while the noise from the audience decreased.

The next award we were shortlisted for pitted us against lookaly and another company but it was always gonna be hard to beat the local Lookaly company. there service really is great. Once again we were awards Highly Commended.

At this stage we thought we were going to be the perenial bridesmaids. Our last nomination was for the best Online Strategy. This award reflected the best overall strategy incorporating pay per click, social media, Search engine Optimisation, etc.

I waited nervously on stage with the CIM Ireland and Alzheimers Society while the winner was announced. Finally our name was announced as winner and I was really shocked and just stood there with my Mickey Mouse hands in the air (that's another story).

The judges said "This best overall strategy has been given to a company
that has engaged with all the online elements – including continuous
developmenf of their website, SEO, PPC, Facebook, YouTube, Ecommerce, online
advertising and PR … Showing a clear return on investment making a massive £10
for every £1 spent … direct website revenue now accounts for 40% of overall
revenues and they’re listed no.1 on Google."

On collecting the award I was asked for the oppotunity to speak through the microphone. Taking advantage of this I thanked all the team at the Belmore Court & Motel, Bookassist Ireland and my wife Mary. I also thanked Naomh McElhatton for having the courage to organise these types of awards; it really is just the right time for them to happen.

The night went on into the early hours in the morning. As usual it was great to meet old friends and make new ones. Really pleased to meet Grannine Maher and her husband and catching up with Niall McKeown from ION.

We retired to our suite (perk of the hotel industry) and slept well after a very statisfactory night. Spent the next day shopping in Ikea with a sore head. Looking forward to next year already.

It really was an honour to win this award and it was great that Bookassist Ireland were able to help me throughout the years and with the application forms. I look forward to continued success with them in the future.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

The
world's first annual festival to celebrate the work and influence of Nobel
Prize writer Samuel Beckett is announced today. HAPPY DAYS will take place each
year in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, where Beckett spent his formative years
attending Portora Royal School.

The
inaugural HAPPY DAYS, 23rd - 27th August 2012, is part of the London 2012
Festival (Cultural Olympiad) and coincides with the 400th anniversary of the
founding of Enniskillen.

HAPPY
DAYS is the first annual, international, multi-arts festival in Northern
Ireland since the launch of the
Belfast Festival in 1962. As with the Edinburgh Festival in 1947, HAPPY DAYS
will be a major cultural event
bringing diverse communities together, mixing local and international audiences
and artists.

The
Festival will present events of wide, popular appeal including:

the work of
Beckett, with world and UK premieres of his major and lesser-known works;

the influences
on Beckett, including music and comedy;

those Beckett
has influenced, including Irish, UK and international writers, directors,
actors, visual artists, musicians, comedians, circus artists and
individuals prominent in their fields.
There will also be a range of events reflecting Beckett's favourite
sports.

The full
HAPPY DAYS artistic line-up will be announced in April 2012. Some highlights of
the 2012 Festival include:

directing and
acting in Krapp's Last Tape, a UK & Irish premiere by a world
acclaimed international Director;

singing
Schubert's Winterreise, Beckett's most favoured piece of music. Ian is one
of Europe's most in-demand tenors, especially in the genre of German
Lieder.

will design a
stage element (to form part of a Beckett production in Australia in 2013)
which will be installed and publicly exhibited for the first time as part
of HAPPY DAYS. Antony is renowned for his large-scale public sculptures
such as the Angel of the North, Gateshead and Inside Australia,

's kinetic
artwork, Steenbeckett, an inspirational response to the role of film in
our understanding of Beckett. Atom is an acclaimed film and stage director
and winner of four major awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Steenbeckett
is presented in association with Artangel.

HAPPY
DAYS Founder & Artistic Director, Sean Doran said: "I am delighted to
return to where my professional festival career began (Derry 1992) and where I
had many rewarding artistic experiences as Artistic Director of the 1997 &
1998 Belfast Festivals". HAPPY DAYS is funded by Arts Council Northern
Ireland, Fermanagh District Council and
London 2012 Festival.

Arlene
Foster, Northern Ireland's Tourism Minister, said: "HAPPY DAYS is a
perfect complement to the wide range of events that already take place around
the Fermanagh Lakelands. Culture is a key ingredient that sets Northern Ireland
apart from competing destinations, and festivals such as this are crucial in
attracting visitors. Innovative events help to raise the profile of a
destination and I have no doubt this initiative has the capacity to grow to a
level where it can attract overseas tourists. It will benefit the local economy
by generating additional spend on accommodation, hospitality
and travel".

Chairman
of Fermanagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O'Reilly said: "We are
very excited about the inaugural HAPPY DAYS which includes a wide variety of
arts and sporting events. Fermanagh is proud of its association with Samuel
Beckett and it is fitting that this innovative Festival is taking place in
Enniskillen, the County Town".

Ruth
McKenzie, LOCOG Director of Culture (Cultural Olympiad), said: "HAPPY DAYS
will be the only brand new and on-going festival premiering in 2012 and
certainly the only festival in the world dedicated to one of the greatest world
writers, Sam Beckett. With world class writing, comedy, music, and amazing
scenery, Enniskillen is bidding to become one of the great world
festivals".

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

AN
eight year old boy’s take on his daddy’s business has beaten some of the most
creative minds in Northern Ireland’s digital advertising industry to be short
listed for a major award.

Young
Lewis McCartney has become something of a star in his hometown of Enniskillen
since he featured in the video to promote his dad’s business, the Belmore
Court & Motel.

Father
and son were both thrilled last week when the cute video viral showing Lewis
giving his “lovely” guided tour of the Belmore court & Motel’s bedrooms,
which has been watched by nearly 3,000 people on U Tube, was short listed in
the prestigious DANI 2011 awards.

The
P5 pupil’s video is up against the might of the Belfast Giants and Derry City
of Culture in the Best Viral Campaign category at the awards. Visit www.motel.co.uk to see his tour of the
Belmore Court.

The ceremony will take
place at Belfast’s Hilton Hotel on Friday, November 11 when a total of
nine awards will be presented but it’s way past Lewis’ bedtime so he wont be
able to attend.

Terry
McCartney, owner of Belmore Court & Motel was thrilled that his simple, low
budget promotional video had impressed judges. “We are just a small company
where every pound matters and we didn’t have a big budget to blow on a video.
Lewis is always in the Belmore Court and we stay overnight regularly and the
kids love it. We just thought if we could capture some of his enthusiasm about
staying it might be infectious.”

“We
didn’t work to a script and just told him to talk and tell it in his own wee
words and he did talk - non stop. He loved doing it and especially as he
got a new big piece of Lego at the end of it. He has become a bit of star now
with people coming into the motel asking if he is there. He is modest but he is
loving it too.”

“We
are thrilled that such a small company as ours has been short listed against
such large organisations.”

Belmore Court & Motel has been
shortlisted in a total of three of the eight DANI Awards categories. The
company is also a finalist for the Best App and Best Online Strategy awards.

Naomh
McElhatton, founder of The DANI Awards said: ''The judges felt the Belmore
Court & Motel fulfilled all the criteria for the category and they
demonstrated an understanding of how and why a viral campaign would work for
them.

“The
content was very relevant to their brand, the campaign hit their target
audience, it was just the right length of footage and fitted very well with
their family business ethos, aside from that it delivered results - following
the coverage on Facebook and their own site - it was mentioned on over 30
bookings and other kids that stayed at the motel wanted to meet Lewis, the
owners son who starred in the video!''

The Motel has enjoyed a superb year of
success at major awards ceremonies where it has been recognised consistently
for its attention to quality service.

Earlier this year Belmore enjoyed the
distinction of being the only independent business in Ireland to pick up a
Silver Award in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The motel also left its larger
competitors standing when it was awarded House Keeping Team of the Year and
runner up in the Receptionist of the Year categories in the 2011 Northern
Ireland Hotel Federation annual awards.

And next month, the Belmore Court
& Motel will be one of the finalists in the coveted Chartered Institute of
Marketing Ireland Excellence awards; Best Marketing and Sales – Tourism and
Hospitality.

Belmore owner Terry
McCartney said: “As a small business up against much bigger companies, we are
delighted to be singled out for success.

“Having all three of our
entries shortlisted in DANI and also making the final of the CIM Marketing
Excellence awardshas topped what has been a
very successful year for us. We really have a team and a product to be proud
of.”